"Nocturnal Animals" is the Most Profound Film of 2016

Nocturnal Animals (2016)

Despite Nocturnal Animals only being fashion designer Tom Ford's second film, it shows a deep understanding of film language and depth that few experienced directors grasp. With great caution and a significant use of color, Ford builds a universe entirely unique to this film, layered and deep while still managing to avoid confusing the audience.

The depth of the film is assisted by the simplicity of its plot. Susan Morrow (Amy Adams) leads a life of luxury and excess, surrounding herself in art, fine food, and beautiful clothes, all in an effort to avoid the guilt and deep depression which gnaws at her from within. Suddenly, without warning, she receives a novel from her ex husband in the mail, and it's devoted to her. From that point on, the film smoothly transitions from her former husband's book to the empty sadness in Susan's life. As the film unravels the novel of Susan's ex husband it is also unraveling the reasons why her marriage failed with him, hidden beneath layers of the novel's plot and vibrant splashes of red in its color scheme.

Typically films which tell stories in a nonlinear fashion can stumble and fall flat, especially when one of the storylines which is regularly returned to is a work of fiction even in the film's universe. However, in the sake of Nocturnal Animals this was the most effective and beautiful way to convey a plot regarding themes such as loss, betrayal, and heartache. With cautious and deliberate use of color (red, white, and blue in particular), Tom Ford shows ties between the two stories - one real and the other fiction - with such grace and beauty that one can watch this film and enjoy it without catching on to the smallest of details.

Admittedly, this is the most difficult film I've ever had to review, because while I have an extraordinary amount of things to say regarding its use of color, camera angles, mirroring beats in the story between the novel and the film's reality, and incredible performance from Jake Gyllenhaal (perhaps even the best in his career), I can't elaborate on any of these things without spoiling one of the most intense and deeply profound films of the year; which is a shame, really, considering I found myself leaving the theater with enough notes in my notebook to write a short book explaining the symbolism and wonderful use of film language throughout the movie.

However, I will say this; Nocturnal Animals is exactly what it needs to be, not what its audience wants it to be. Meaning it's sad, uncomfortable, ugly, and at the same time it's moving and beautiful. The soundtrack mirrors that of an old classic film from the sixties, with swooning strings that create a romantic atmosphere which makes up for a script which is void of all romance. The string's compensation and creation of a false sense of beauty and romance within the character's lives somehow twists into something darker and sinister, but absolutely mesmerizing.

If you are not accustomed to films which unravel in a more unconventional manner and which stray into being extremely artistic (many elements in its story are portrayed without words, and rather through visual cues and, again, the usage of color), I still recommend this film to you. I recommend this film to absolutely everyone, if only so they can see the power that is the art of filmmaking and venture into the art of cinema which sometimes slips into being something slightly more experimental than most mainstream films. Go into it expecting to be deeply uncomfortable and placed on edge from beginning to end, and don't resist the disgust or take that repulsion and use it to say that the film was terrible, instead embrace it and understand that you were meant to feel uncomfortable, because that is exactly how Tom Ford wanted you to feel.

Nocturnal Animals is currently playing in select cinemas and will be released everywhere in theaters December 9th.